Labour’s Neil Kinnock wasn’t up for pleasantries either. He asked Thatcher why those competing for her job were “wriggling around trying to find a way out of the poll tax trap.” Britain’s first female PM, correcting herself, said she thought “they were keeping the poll … the community charge.” John Major abolished it the following year.
June 27, 2007: Blair was the future once
Tory leader David Cameron opted to keep things friendly for Tony Blair’s finale, following up questions on flooding and the Middle East with congratulations for his 10 years in office and “considerable achievements to his credit.” Cameron even urged his MPs to join in the cross-party standing ovation for Blair as he left — and didn’t even bring back his “he was the future once” jibe.
In a preview of battles to come, Blair responded to Euroskeptic Tory MP Nicholas Winterton’s tirade against Brussels by saying if he were Tory leader he’d be worried by the “guttural roar” in response to criticism of the EU. “May I say to him au revoir, auf Wiedersehen and arrivederci?” Blair signed off.
July 13, 2016: Corbyn waves off Cameron
Jeremy Corbyn and David Cameron traded statistics over the Tory government’s record as both leaders’ parties enjoyed very different leadership contests. Cameron praised his party’s ruthlessness as Theresa May prepared to take over: “We got on with it. We have had resignation, nomination, competition and coronation. The opposition have not even decided what the rules are yet.”
Corbyn, following his vote of no confidence from Labour MPs, claimed “democracy is an exciting and splendid thing and I am enjoying every moment of it.” Cameron ended his Commons remarks by remembering “I was the future once.” He got a standing ovation from his own MPs and some polite claps from the Labour benches.
July 24, 2019: May succumbs to Brexit chaos
Corbyn tried a similar tactic when seeing off Theresa May but discussions, of course, turned to Brexit. The Labour leader railed against “three years of bungled negotiations” and red lines “that ruled out any sensible compromise deal.” while May said that Corbyn “should be ashamed of himself” for “playing party politics.” Though May praised their joint “commitment to our constituencies,” she suggested “perhaps the time is now” for Corbyn to step down too. He would heed that advice — albeit nine months later. Numerous women including Harriet Harman praised May’s dedication and commitment to gender equality — though she warned “sometimes, you just have to be a bit more careful when a man wants to hold your hand.”
July 20, 2022: Boris quotes Arnie
Boris Johnson bid farewell to No. 10 when the leadership race to replace him was in full swing — something one Keir Starmer leapt upon. Though the then-PM said any of his successors would, “like some household detergent, wipe the floor” with him, Starmer claimed a debate was canned because the “public actually heard from the candidates first hand.” Johnson had some fun in describing Starmer as one of those “pointless plastic bollards,” before his immortal final words at the despatch box: “Hasta la vista, baby.” Odds on Starmer signing off with that today?